Just because it's interesting: Canada actually did put down some laws regarding gambling of cryptocurrency. This caused the owner of just-dice to close down for some months, only to (as far as anyone can tell) legally come back up using a different one (CLAMS instead of Bitcoin) because there were no exchanges trading CLAMS for official currency. Not that that has anything to do with Micon or Seals, but I thought it was interesting that a vagueness in laws created wiggle room for them. It's pretty clear that the pachinco model doesn't fly in Nevada, but I've heard of bars in some states playing poker for a buy-in then awarding stuffed animals or some shit that they trade back for money.Originally Posted by cmoney
Exactly my point. Based on this logic the founder of Silk Road should be a free man since all the transaction were done with Bitcoin. However, the government doesnt see it that way and that guy faces min of 30 years in prison.
It's silly to think bitcoin makes gambling fly in the states, some states have laws that outlaw any gambling with something of value, not just dollars. Maybe you can play poker for ham sandwiches in some states, but in others even play money is illegal if there is any value attached. Value being such a wide term that even a leaderboard of winners that provides personal bragging satisfaction could constitute "value." Most states also have laws against giving drugs to someone else, regardless of the number of ham sandwiches that are involved in the transaction.
Obviously none of this has fuck-all to do with this thread, it just made me get sad about the fact that we can't just play poker and be treated like reasonable, consenting, human beings in this country. The comparison, on a poker forum no less, to people that conspired to distribute drugs and have people murdered further depresses my hopes that some day we'll wake up to poker being treated like the game that it is.
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